Generic image carriers are used, in particular for medical purposes, in the field of computer radiography (CR). For this, X-ray images are recorded in a storage phosphor layer by storing the X-radiation passing through an object, for example a patient, as a latent image in the storage phosphor layer. In order to read the stored X-ray information the storage phosphor layer is illuminated with stimulation light, whereby the layer is excited to emit light, which is captured by an optical detector and converted into electrical signals. The electrical signals may be processed further as necessary and displayed on a monitor or output on a corresponding output device, such as for example a printer. After an erasure procedure, in which any remaining X-ray information is completely eliminated from the storage phosphor layer, the storage phosphor layer is available for recording further X-ray photographs.
Since storage phosphor layers in general have different sensitivities to X-radiation, then inter alia the sensitivity of the respective storage phosphor layer to X-radiation must be taken into account when processing the image signals obtained on reading the image carrier. The corresponding data, that are a measure of the sensitivity of the storage phosphor layer of an image carrier to X-radiation, are according to the prior art generally supplied ex works on a separate data carrier together with the image carrier. In this connection, if there is confusion concerning the individual data carriers generally belonging to different image carriers, it may happen that the image signals obtained from a storage phosphor layer of an image carrier are mistakenly corrected with the corresponding data of another image carrier. This leads to an unacceptable falsification of the read X-ray information.